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“A very rewarding experience, unlike anything I’ve done before. A brilliant way to travel, discover more about myself and help make a difference. “

The international volunteering day might be a weird concept, as every day is a day for international volunteering. Every day do we do our best to deliver a volunteering programme that gives every individual a chance to go abroad and join a movement which engages thousands of people every year. Every day, together with our long-term friends in our networks, are we continue seeking out local communities ready to become the ground for an international movement joining together to work on important topics and support local causes.

Today we are saying thank you to all our volunteers, but we are every day grateful for the work you do!

“The trips are an amazing experience for staff and students alike. You get to experience a country and its culture through doing something good for others – which helps you to understand a place and its people more fully and not through the eyes of a tourist. Concordia’s personal and professional approach to organising these trips means that they are worry free for even the most conscientious of leaders. The trips can be whatever you want them to be but no matter what you choose they ultimately achieve the most important thing with regards to students’ development; to help them become well-rounded and open-minded adults, and this outcome is worth more than any education they receive at college.”

Together with the students from Esher College, we joined our partner in Nepal on the ongoing post-earthquake relief work in the hills of Kathmandu. It was a project taking the students far out from their comfort zone and modern comfortabilities, but also to an experience of a lifetime which will be with them for a long time! The group mustered through the monsoon rain, the repetitive diet of Dal Bhat, and added true value to a project far away from the beaten tourist tracks.

We are happy to have volunteers such as these joining our Group Volunteering Programme, and we would be surprised if this would be the last we see of them!

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In this newsletter, we give you insight into the peak months bringing you up to speed on the National Citizen Programme, the preparations made for the UK summer programme 2018, and finally, we take you behind the scenes of the technical meeting with international partners hosted in Brno.

Concordia is looking for new Wave Assistant Leaders, Team leaders and Assistant Leaders to join us this summer!

Concordia is in its 6th year of delivering the National Citizen Service (NCS) on the South Coast of England. We have engaged hundreds of young people by helping to build their skills for work and life when they take part in this amazing national youth programme. The aim of NCS is to enable young people to make a difference to themselves and the local community, whilst experiencing something new. Assistant Wave Leaders. Team Leaders and Team Assistants are crucial to ensure our NCS programme is the best.

So do you think you have what it takes to be a ‘leader’?

Assistant Wave Leader

A Wave Leader’s role is to lead, inspire and support a team of up to 8 staff, who will be leading a group of 15-17 year olds. This role is suitable for a dynamic and confident person who has experience of leading groups of people and who is able to both motivate and support them.

Team Leader

A Team Leader’s role is to lead, inspire and develop a team of fifteen young people on the NCS programme. You need experiences of leading young people (age 15-17) and be able to both motivate and support them. You will also be responsible for up to 2 staff including a Team Assistant and an overseas English speaking volunteer. Residential experience is essential.

Team Assistants

A Team Assistant’s role will work alongside a Team Leader and an International Volunteer to support a team of fifteen young people on their NCS journey. This is perfect if you have little experience, but great passion for working with young people in this demanding role.

This is an excellent opportunity to be involved in and an exciting programme which has tangible results for the young people involved. The role is demanding and fast-paced but highly rewarding.

All staff who work on the NCS programme must have returned an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and 2 satisfactory references regarding their suitability to work with young people, prior to starting work with us.

So here we are again, trying to summarise the year of 2017, while most of us already are rushing into the next year. But it is important to look back and acknowledge the amazing year we’ve been having; for our volunteers, both veterans and new, who went abroad to support communities and our partners through volunteering actions. Also highlighting the great experience and personal growth we seen in the international volunteers joining us here in the UK, and of course the wonderful journey the leaders and young people from NCS have undertaken with us over this summer.

We have all of you to thank for what we have achieved this year, and I believe that we deserve having the last days of this year spent together the best way we redeem fit. At Concordia, we got our gift a week early as we are now proudly mentioned in “A Traveller’s guide to making a difference around the world” by Lonely Planet (2017).

Would you like to become one of our amazing Group Coordinators and support the running of one of our international projects in the UK during summer 2018?

If so, we are pleased to announce the dates for 2018 for our annual Group Coordinator Weekend Training, which will take place on 24th and 25th March 2018.

These training weekends are a fun way of getting lots of practical advice on leading a project, as well as gaining useful information on group dynamics, cultural awareness, conflict resolution, budgeting, health and safety and cooking for large numbers! All co-ordinators receive a comprehensive ‘co-ordinator survival pack’ detailing the practical tips and advice covered during training and much more…

Lead abroad as a Concordia Group Leader

Every year, Concordia sends groups of students and young people to go abroad for volunteering. During their journey, they will carry out volunteering, meet with locals and encounter several cultural events that are very different from staying back in the UK. We train all our leaders to be ready to support the volunteers throughout the programme, ensuring their safety and maximise their development. Your role is to be the link between Concordia, our overseas partner, deal with logistics and ensure the smooth running of the programme – and you will get all the skills you need by taking part in this one-day training held on the 9th December. (more…)

We have yet again come to the point where summer is around the corner, and we have a quick moment to reflect on all the great things that happened since the last time you heard from us. Check out our news about international volunteering, UK volunteering and NCS.